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Smelters, meltshops and mills are not the only plants to benefit from advances in technology - upstream, miners too are increasingly using sophisticated machinery for bigger, faster and smarter operations. Mike Woof outlines the trends in mining equipment.
Technologically, mining is evolving. Cutting-edge technology is now employed in several mining operations and demand for such equipment is spreading fast. Machines come with more sophisticated electronic controls and operating features than before, thanks to widespread use of industrial computing systems, which are now both rugged and relatively cheap. This use of electronics makes equipment more efficient, productive and cost-effective, as well as easier to maintain.
Mining equipment offers fault-finding abilities and diagnostic checks almost as a matter of course, and the latest systems even allow technicians to correct problems remotely. The cost benefits of this are enormous, as machines can be brought back into service quickly, reducing production losses from unscheduled downtime.
The ability to repair machines remotely also has major implications for service crews, as it means they may not have to travel to site at all. Given that many large South American mines are perched on top of high mountains or located in desert areas, while mining operations in other countries can be just as remote, this is an important issue.
Such technology is already being used widely in ore-processing plants, and is also beginning to be seen in large mobile equipment. German electronics giant Siemens teamed up with US equipment firm Bucyrus to fit mining shovels and draglines with two-way diagnostics and maintenance technology, which is now being put to use at several operations around the world. This two-way, remote-maintenance facility was a first for the mining industry, but it seems likely that other equipment firms with a focus on high technology, such as Caterpillar, Komatsu or P&H, will have similar technologies available very soon.
Speedy giants
Mining machines are also bigger and faster than before. One of...